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Silver flowers and fiery trees bloomed like scattered stars across the night sky.
The group strolled through the bustling crowd. Jun Mo subtly shielded Su Li, keeping the jostling people at bay, ensuring no one bumped into her.
Lanterns shaped like the twelve zodiac animals looked charmingly naive; scenic lanterns were stunningly beautiful; those depicting birds, beasts, insects, and fish were remarkably lifelike... An overwhelming variety of exquisite and cleverly crafted lanterns met the eye at every turn. Lanterns stretched for ten li, their myriad lights adorning the beautiful night far into the distance.
Walking to the lakeside, they saw many people releasing sky lanterns. The lanterns rose slowly, like shimmering stars, forming a brilliant river of light connecting the heavens and the lake's surface.
Su Li tilted her head back, gazing at the distant constellations, murmuring, "It's already the eighth month..."
The silent night offered no reply.
A voice spoke beside her ear. Jun Mo, smiling, asked, "Li'er, would you like to release a lantern by the lake?"
Zhi Shu approached, beaming, having bought several lanterns. "Miss, I bought five! One for each of us."
Su Li smilingly accepted a lantern and started towards the lakeside.
"Miss, you haven't written your wish yet!" Zhi Shu called out.
Su Li came back, picked up a brush from a nearby stall, and carefully wrote down her wish.
Zhi Shu handed a lantern to Mo Yang. "Here!"
Mo Yang coldly walked to stand behind Jun Mo.
Jun Mo chuckled, "Mo Yang, you should be gentler with young ladies."
Mo Yang seemed thoughtful, then walked back to where Zhi Shu was bent over, writing her wish. "Give it here."
Zhi Shu looked up. "What?"
"The lantern."
"Oh, I thought you didn't want it, so I... wrote wishes on both of them."
Mo Yang withdrew his hand and silently returned to Jun Mo's side again.
"Um," Zhi Shu offered somewhat awkwardly, "how about... I share one wish with you? You can take it and rewrite it."
Mo Yang accepted the lantern and silently glanced at the words written on it: 'I wish I could lose a little weight and grow a bit taller.'
Mo Yang: ...
He silently glanced at the girl releasing her lantern by the lake, her face full of smiles. She isn't fat, nor particularly short, he thought. Perhaps because she's young, her face is a bit round.
After releasing the lanterns, Su Li noticed the tempting aromas from the food stalls lining the path and glanced at her maids, whose eyes were shining. She smiled at them. "Go ahead and buy some if you want."
Zhi Shu grabbed Si Qin's arm. "Miss is the best!" With that, she eagerly dashed towards the food.
"Li'er is very kind to her servants," Jun Mo remarked.
Su Li smiled. "I don't think of them as servants." They suffered too much in my previous life, she thought. In this life, I want them both to be happy.
Watching the girl whose arms were now full of snacks and whose eyes were curved into smiling crescents, Mo Yang thought, Her wish probably won't come true.
"Miss, you should try some too! This is delicious!" Zhi Shu ran back to Su Li, offering her a snack.
Su Li chuckled, "You enjoy it. I just ate; I'm too full."
"Alright then."
Zhi Shu and Si Qin took bites of their snacks. While Si Qin was generally calmer than Zhi Shu, it was only by comparison. The two followed behind Su Li, eating as they walked, their eyes busy taking in the festive sights on the street, shining with excitement.
Seeing Mo Yang standing nearby, coldly clutching his sword, looking utterly out of place amidst the surrounding festivities, Zhi Shu offered him a bag of sugar-roasted chestnuts. "Want some?"
He initially didn't want to respond, but then recalled his master's words. "No need."
The group wandered on, pausing now and then. Suddenly, with a loud bang, large, magnificent fireworks burst open in the sky. The fireworks were breathtakingly beautiful, illuminating half the night sky. Everyone held their breath, gazing upwards. Behind them was a sea of people; above, huge fireworks bloomed to their fullest brilliance before fading like falling stars.
Su Li inadvertently turned her head. The man beside her was incomparably handsome, his eyes filled with a deep, lingering tenderness. She could see her own reflection mirrored in his gaze.
Why is he looking at me instead of the fireworks? Su Li felt a flicker of unease and quickly turned her gaze back to the sky.
The fireworks lasted for quite some time before finally ceasing. As the excitement subsided, a gust of night wind brought a sudden chill to the air. Suddenly, warmth enveloped her as a cloak, carrying that familiar cool fragrance, was draped over her shoulders.
"The autumn wind is chilly. Be careful not to catch cold," Jun Mo said softly.
Su Li froze. In her past life... on that brutal, snowy night at the mass burial ground... he had also placed his cloak around her.
"What is it?" Jun Mo's voice held a trace of alarm. He had only given her the cloak because he worried she might get cold. Why were her eyes suddenly red-rimmed? Had he overstepped?
"I'm sorry, I..." he began, but Su Li quickly composed herself and cut him off, "Thank you!"
After this small incident, Su Li became quieter, and Jun Mo didn't dare speak carelessly either. The women bought a few more small, exquisite trinkets. Seeing that it was getting late, and considering they had to travel early the next morning, they returned to the inn.
Back at the inn, Su Li put down her purchases, then picked up her small wooden medical kit and went to Jun Mo's room.
"Let's begin," she said.
Seeing her strictly businesslike demeanor, Jun Mo walked to the table, poured a cup of hot water, and handed it to her. "Have some water. You just came in from outside; take a moment to warm up."
Su Li put down her medical kit, sat at the table, and took a sip of water.
"Li'er, something is troubling you." It wasn't a question, but a statement of fact.
Su Li gave a faint smile. "Doesn't everyone have things on their mind? Does Your Highness not have worries of your own?"
"Since you are unwilling to speak of it, it is not my place to press further," Jun Mo said. "The road ahead is clear of snow now. We must travel faster; the coming days will be more demanding."
"I know," Su Li said, putting down her cup. "Let's proceed with the acupuncture first, then get to sleep early so we can make an early start tomorrow."
"Very well."
Jun Mo expertly sat on the bed and rolled up his trouser leg.
"The further we progress, the more painful the needling becomes. Today will hurt more than yesterday, Your Highness..." Su Li warned.
Jun Mo replied nonchalantly, "It's alright. Li'er, proceed whenever you're ready." He had endured the agony of feeling like he was walking on knife points with every step before. Compared to that, what was this?
Su Li said no more and began the acupuncture treatment.
After about half an hour, Su Li removed the needles. "Your Highness, I will return to my room now."
Jun Mo nodded, adjusting his clothing.
Once Su Li had left, Jun Mo ordered someone to bring hot water, washed up, and then rested for the night.
The night passed uneventfully.
Early the next morning, the group set out again. The weather was mild, and Jun Mo rode his horse at the head of the party. Without snow, their pace was indeed much faster than before, but the carriage ride was also significantly bumpier. Despite the soft tiger skin lining the carriage, several days of rapid travel left Su Li aching all over. More than once, she found herself enviously watching Jun Mo on horseback. Fortunately, she had brought plenty of medicinal herbs. A soak in a medicinal bath each evening ensured she was refreshed and energetic the following day.
One evening, the group found a place to stop and rest. For the past several days, they had been traveling relentlessly, setting out before dawn and continuing after dusk. This was the first time they had stopped for the night while it was still evening.
"We should reach Shu Du tomorrow," Jun Mo announced. "Rest well tonight; we'll enter the city in the morning."
Su Li breathed a sigh of relief. They were finally almost there.
As usual, she took her medicinal bath, had dinner, and then prepared to give Jun Mo his acupuncture treatment. While Su Li administered the needles, the two conversed as they usually did.
"Tomorrow, let's the two of us go ahead first to scout the situation," Su Li suggested.
Jun Mo glanced at her. "That was precisely my intention." Shu Du could be considered the territory of Jun Hui's maternal family; they needed to be cautious. A smaller group would be more mobile and less conspicuous.
"Traveling this whole way, we've seen hardly any refugees. It's highly unusual," Jun Mo noted with a frown.
Su Li recalled a rumor from her past life: after this famine, an inexplicable number of people had disappeared, mostly able-bodied young men. Some speculated they had fled the famine to distant lands, but that didn't quite add up – it was unlikely that only men would have vanished.
"Don't dwell on it too much. We'll find out once we reach Shu Du," Su Li said.
After removing the silver needles, she saw his face had turned pale from the pain and couldn't help feeling a pang of sympathy. "Your Highness..." The excruciating pain from this blood-channeling treatment... her painkillers were completely ineffective against it.
"It's nothing. I can bear it," he insisted. He could feel his legs improving day by day, growing stronger. This amount of pain was more than worth it.
"Go back to your room and rest."
"Mn."
Su Li went out and called for Mo Yang to bring water in.
"Your Highness, how are you feeling?" Mo Yang asked, coming over to support Jun Mo.
Jun Mo replied lightly, "Are you doubting your Princess Consort's medical skills? I am perfectly fine."
Mo Yang mixed the medicinal powder Su Li had provided into water and applied it as a compress to Jun Mo's legs. The pain eased considerably almost immediately.
"Tomorrow, the Princess Consort and I will go ahead," Jun Mo instructed. "You lead the others into the city and settle in at the Prefectural Governor's Mansion."
"Master, the situation is unclear. Please allow this subordinate to accompany you," Mo Yang requested.
"It's fine," Jun Mo countered. "A larger group would attract too much attention. If you go to the Governor's Mansion, their focus will be on you, making it relatively safer for us."
"Yes, Master."